Smoking and Neurophysiological Markers of Information Processing in Schizophrenia

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Abstract

The primary aim of this study was to compare patterns of nicotine consumption among patients with schizophrenia and a matched community control sample. Assessments included self-report and biological indexes of nicotine use as well as behavioral measures of smoking topography. Secondarily, this study tested the hypothesis that aspects of nicotine consumption are more closely associated with abnormalities in sensory gating and eye tracking performance among smokers with schizophrenia. Results from 50 patient and 10 healthy control smokers provided some evidence to support the primary hypothesis; biological indexes provided the most robust evidence that patients with schizophrenia extract more nicotine from smoking cigarettes than controls. Both groups demonstrated significant relationships between measures of nicotine dependence and neurophysiological functions. Patterns of results suggest that patients are less able to regulate smoking behaviors or efficiently utilize nicotine to enhance information processing. Additional factors likely contribute to smoking phenomena observed among patients with schizophrenia.